Blue moons and large fires

William M. Porch

doi:10.1364/AO.28.001778

Applied Optics
Vol. 28,
Issue 10,
pp. 1778-1784
(1989)
•https://doi.org/10.1364/AO.28.001778

Blue moons and large fires

William M. Porch

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William M. Porch, "Blue moons and large fires," Appl. Opt. 28, 1778-1784 (1989)

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Abstract

Theoretical analysis of simulations of optical effects from the 1950 Canadian forest fires has revealed what conditions are necessary for large fires to cause blue moons and suns. This study shows how large fires can be used to improve our understanding of long range pollution transport on a global scale as well as the evolution of aerosol radiative effects so important to global climate studies. The most important aerosol characteristics are the initial submicron smoke particle concentration and areal extent of the fire and its effect on fire plume dispersion. Capping clouds above the fire and near saturation humidity effects are simulated and found to help establish anomalous optical effects. Data are included showing probable anomalous extinction events associated with concentrated fire plumes.

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Fire diameter (km)	Time (h)	Submicron mass (× 10⁻⁹g/cm³)	λ = 0.55 μm		λ = 0.44 μm		α
Fire diameter (km)	Time (h)	Submicron mass (× 10⁻⁹g/cm³)	τ_a	τ_s	τ_a	τ_s	α
Initial submicron aerosol concentration 5 × 10⁻⁸ g/cm³
400	1	7.83	14.0	52.0	16.6	62.1	0.79
	10	6.12	9.1	30.6	10.4	26.8	−0.29
	70	3.30	4.1	8.1	4.4	6.9	−0.34
160	10	5.29	7.9	27.0	9.1	23.8	−0.28
	70	1.74	2.3	5.1	2.5	4.2	−0.44
80	10	3.64	5.0	18.9	5.8	17.1	−018
	70	0.67	0.9	2.5	1.0	2.1	−0.51
40	10	1.71	2.6	9.9	3.1	9.5	0.01
	70	1.97	0.3	1.0	0.3	0.9	−0.28
Initial submicron aerosol concentration 5 × 10⁻⁹ g/cm³
400	1	0.83	1.5	4.2	1.9	5.9	1.4
	10	0.67	1.0	4.1	1.3	5.3	1.1
	70	0.37	0.6	2.3	0.7	2.3	0.15
160	10	0.58	0.9	3.6	1.1	4 6	11
	70	0.20	0.3	1.2	0.4	1.3	0.4

Fire diameter (km)	Time (h)	Submicron mass (× 10⁻⁹ g/cm³)	λ = 0.55 μm		λ = 0.44 μm		α
Fire diameter (km)	Time (h)	Submicron mass (× 10⁻⁹ g/cm³)	τ_a	τ_s	τ_a	τ_s	α
Initial submicron aerosol concentration 5 × 10⁻⁸ g/cm³
160	1	8.21	12.7	51.6	15.3	58.0	0.59
	10	6.37	8.5	24.9	9.8	25.0	−0.38
	70	3.44	4.0	7.9	4.3	6.7	−0.35
	142	2.24	2.4	4.1	2.6	3.7	−0.21
Initial submicron aerosol concentration 5 × 10⁻⁹ g/cm³
	1	0.83	1.3	4.7	1.57	5.94	1.0
	10	0.67	0.98	4.12	1.20	4.81	0.74
	70	0.37	0.54	2.16	0.63	2.13	0.10
	142	0.24	0.5	31	0	21	−0.11

Humidity events	Time (h)	λ = 0.55 μm		λ = 0.44 μm		α
Humidity events	Time (h)	τ_a	τ_s	τ_a	τ_s	α
One event at 70 h	10	0.93	3.57	1.14	4.56	1.06
(All radii increase by 1.7)	70	1.59	4.38	1.78	3.70	−0.38
Two events after 10 and 42 h lasting 1 h, then evaporation with hysteresis (all radii decrease by 1.5), then one event at 70 h	2.59	5.61	2.80	4.83	−0.32
Two events after 10 and 42 h lasting 1 h, then evaporation with hysteresis, dry at 70 h	70	0.52	1.87	0.60	1.81	0.04
Two events after 10 and 42 h lasting 10 h, then evaporation with hysteresis, dry at 70 h	70	0.73	2.21	0.82	2.01	−0.17
Two events after 10 and 42 h lasting 10 h, then evaporation with hysteresis, dry at 70 h	70	0.54	1.70	0.61	1.61	−0.04

Fire diameter (km)	Time (h)	Submicron mass (× 10⁻⁹g/cm³)	λ = 0.55 μm		λ = 0.44 μm		α
Fire diameter (km)	Time (h)	Submicron mass (× 10⁻⁹g/cm³)	τ_a	τ_s	τ_a	τ_s	α
Initial submicron aerosol concentration 5 × 10⁻⁸ g/cm³
400	1	7.83	14.0	52.0	16.6	62.1	0.79
	10	6.12	9.1	30.6	10.4	26.8	−0.29
	70	3.30	4.1	8.1	4.4	6.9	−0.34
160	10	5.29	7.9	27.0	9.1	23.8	−0.28
	70	1.74	2.3	5.1	2.5	4.2	−0.44
80	10	3.64	5.0	18.9	5.8	17.1	−018
	70	0.67	0.9	2.5	1.0	2.1	−0.51
40	10	1.71	2.6	9.9	3.1	9.5	0.01
	70	1.97	0.3	1.0	0.3	0.9	−0.28
Initial submicron aerosol concentration 5 × 10⁻⁹ g/cm³
400	1	0.83	1.5	4.2	1.9	5.9	1.4
	10	0.67	1.0	4.1	1.3	5.3	1.1
	70	0.37	0.6	2.3	0.7	2.3	0.15
160	10	0.58	0.9	3.6	1.1	4 6	11
	70	0.20	0.3	1.2	0.4	1.3	0.4

Fire diameter (km)	Time (h)	Submicron mass (× 10⁻⁹ g/cm³)	λ = 0.55 μm		λ = 0.44 μm		α
Fire diameter (km)	Time (h)	Submicron mass (× 10⁻⁹ g/cm³)	τ_a	τ_s	τ_a	τ_s	α
Initial submicron aerosol concentration 5 × 10⁻⁸ g/cm³
160	1	8.21	12.7	51.6	15.3	58.0	0.59
	10	6.37	8.5	24.9	9.8	25.0	−0.38
	70	3.44	4.0	7.9	4.3	6.7	−0.35
	142	2.24	2.4	4.1	2.6	3.7	−0.21
Initial submicron aerosol concentration 5 × 10⁻⁹ g/cm³
	1	0.83	1.3	4.7	1.57	5.94	1.0
	10	0.67	0.98	4.12	1.20	4.81	0.74
	70	0.37	0.54	2.16	0.63	2.13	0.10
	142	0.24	0.5	31	0	21	−0.11

Abstract

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Tables (3)

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Applied Optics